L'assassino
by Athletiger
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi is Sora, Vongola's assassin and Vendice's contractor. However, everyone else knows him as Dame-Tsuna, a clumsy student who does badly in school. Yet, his two lives will slowly merge together when he is chosen to be the next Vongola Decimo.
1. The Prologue

Under the night sky, the stars shone upon a figure that raced through the quiet streets of Namimori, Japan. Behind him, a small figure, cape billowing in the breeze and hood mysteriously permanently covering his head, flitted across the Japanese rooftops.

This smaller figure's name was Sora. Unknowingly, as he tracked down the mafia renegade murderer, he was following the footsteps of his ancestor to be a society vigilante.

The murderer hoped to evade capture from the mafia police, Vendice, as well as his enemy, Vongola, but he hadn't expected that the mafia's reach extended all the way to Japan. Yakuza, definitely, but mafia? The renegade tensely glanced back, and he was shocked that the smaller figure gained ground on him. In fear, he put an extra burst of speed, but even that was useless. Shock was the last thought he had before he was knocked unconscious.

* * *

The prisoner looked on in fear as Sora walked of the cell. "Thank you for your cooperation. Vendice will be happy to know where you are. Good day."

Sora closed the door of the prison cell, simultaneously pulling out his cell phone. He hit speed dial.

"Nono," Sora said into his cell phone, "I have captured the renegade. He had confessed to have killed our ten. Yet, he was not involved with the experimentation...Yes, Nono, he was simply the scapegoat…"

Sora climbed through the window of his room, listening to Nono's questions. "He did not admit who was behind the experimentation. However, I will look into it more."

Sora hung up the call, resting his head against the wall before looking toward his desk. Beside his computer sat a lone picture. He knew it was sentimental, but it was also what kept his sanity. The boy took the picture in his hands, reminiscing the past. He sighed before whispering, "I miss you. I will do my best to bring you home soon."

"Tsuna! You're going to be late for school!" A voice called from below.

Sora glanced down at his watch. "Crap!" Sora yelled, replacing his worn face into a happy facade. Sora was now known to society as Sawada Tsunayoshi. He grabbed his change of clothes and darted out of the room, almost forgetting his backpack on the way out.

"Okaa-san!" Tsuna called as he raced down the stairs, almost tripping over his feet. "I'm leaving!"

Nana looked at him from the kitchen, smiling. "Okay, have a great day!"

Such was the double life of Sawada Tsunayoshi. Little did he know that he would soon have another life.

* * *

A baby stood in front of the Sawada residence, a tutoring promotion in hand. He looked up, smiling. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, candidate for Vongola Decimo."

He placed the the paper in the mailbox. "Welcome to the mafia world."

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back (kinda - I need to get through junior year and it's tough with all the SATs and APs and stuff) with another story. I was kind of unsatisfied with my other story, as it required me to have background knowledge that I simply did not have. Also, the plot line was simply getting very complex. Therefore, I have started this new story, with the same basic plotline as the previous one (with Kiyoshi and all that), but a different type of Tsuna. This story will probably also be darker, as I am trying to improve my writing with an actual theme. Therefore, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and please let me know about how you feel about this upcoming story.


	2. The Beginning

"_Tsuna!" several voices called eagerly. He snapped alert as his name permeated through the air._

_Tsuna looked around, attempting to see the damp, dark fog. "Guys? Where are you?" His voice echoed around him. He walked a few steps forward, only to crash straight into a wall. Tsuna placed his hands on the wall, inching his way to the side, attempting to feel an exit. Yet, he only found another edge of the wall. Frantically, he made his way around, only to realize that there was no escape._

_Another voice, one Tsuna did not recognize, spoke up beside him. "This is where you are Tsuna. A damp, dark cell with nowhere to escape. Yet, there is a reprieve should you so choose. Accept the choice, and you will become a valuable leader. Decline it…"_

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," a voice cut through the mind of Tsuna's sleep-addled mind. He jumped awake in surprise.

"Yes sir!"

Everyone else in the class laughed. Mochida-sensei simply looked scandalized. "What's the answer to this problem on the board?"

Tsuna took one glance before surreptitiously wrinkling his nose. _Anatomy, simple_. _The answer is clearly the respiratory system. _Yet he gaped at the problem like a fish out of the water. His lack of response earned another round of rambunctious laughter. "Stupid Tsuna," Tsuna heard from a few of his classmates.

Mochida-sensei placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose, sighing loudly. "Sit down, Tsuna."

The boy embarrassedly sat back in his seat and yawned, once again ignoring the lecture. However, his quick running thoughts prevented him from nodding off again. He could feel it, his sixth sense was telling him that his life was going to turn upside-down from what it was now.

Tsuna glanced at the clock above Mochida-sensei's head. _Five more minutes before school is over_. He frowned: he hated the choice of his facade, a "stupid" boy who slept in class and tripped over flat ground. Yet, he couldn't just simply choose the antithesis or else he would reveal his true being.

Soon, his rapid thoughts changed into another direction. He thought about his dream. Tsuna was disgruntled at the fact that he was unable to hear the rest of the voice's sentence. With the information, he slightly dreaded the upcoming change, yet he also anxiously looked forward to what the future held.

Finally, the bell rang, earning loud cheers from Tsuna's classmates who were eager to depart from school. Tsuna got up quickly as well, making sure to deliberately trip over his desk. Once again, he heard muttered "Dame-Tsuna's" around him, but he ignored the insult. He was simply eager to go home and see his mother.

"I'm home!" Tsuna yelled, bursting from the doorway.

"Welcome back!" Nana cheerfully replied, looking out from the kitchen. "How was school today?"

"Fairly good!"

Nana stepped out from the kitchen doorway, holding a piece of paper in her hand. "I saw this flyer today, advertising for a home tutor."

Tsuna gingerly took the paper from his mother's hand, skimming it. "Do you know that this is just outrageous? 'Will raise your child to be the leader of the next generation.'"

"I still think it is a good idea!" Nana protested. "Your grades consists of D's and F's. It seems that this is a tutor for young aspiring businessmen. This will be a great chance for you be at the top of the chain."

"It's a scam! I really don't need any tutor! Seriously, Okaa-san, who the heck states 'leader of the next generation?' Apparently, this person name Rebornnnnn," Tsuna trailed off at the end, realizing that a young child was at the door.

Nana looked over. "Oh, hello! Are you lost, little child?"

The baby shook his head. "Ciaossu! My name is Reborn. I am Tsuna's home tutor."

Tsuna paled. _Crap, I just insulted the best assassin in the mafia world._ Reborn looked at his new charge.

"Hello Tsuna, I will be your new tutor."

Tsuna simply stammered out, "Reborn."

"Yes, that is my name," Reborn wryly replied.

"Reborn."

"Yes, we have already established the fact that 'Reborn' is my name."

"Reborn."

"Yes, I am reborn as a small baby. Now will you please stop saying my name?"

"Re-"

BAM!

"First rule:" Reborn said over Tsuna, who was clutching his head in pain. Tsuna glared at the offending ten-ton hammer in Reborn's hand. "You shall do as I say. If you don't, there are grave consequences, all involving pain. I like causing pain."

Tsuna sat up, still rubbing his head. "Hai."

Reborn looked at Nana. "I will make him a great leader."

Nana smiled down at him. "Thank you very much! Tsuna, be courteous to Reborn. It is very kind of him to spend his time to teach you."

Tsuna glared. "No! Reborn has not…" Tsuna doubled over in pain.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of your son!" Reborn told Nana before climbing up the stairs with Tsuna's tie in his hand.

"Tsuna, I am an assassin," Reborn told Tsuna once in the latter's room. The baby had a gun pointed at his charge. Tsuna quickly tensed up. "My job is to make you a mafia boss."

There was a tense moment of silence, broken by the growling of Reborn's stomach. "But later."

Tsuna could only facepalm.

* * *

**Omake**

When Reborn stood upon the doorway of the Sawada's household, he could see that there was more to the young boy Sawada Tsunayoshi that met the eye. He critically looked up and down at his new young charge, and it was obvious to him that Vongola's Lion's child have seen a glimpse of a darkness.

That dullness of the eyes.

That strained smile.

That tenseness in the body.

That continuous awareness of the surroundings.

It all led to the fact that Sawada Tsunayoshi had seen the other side of life. Reborn frowned, wondering how this young child had already seen this side of life. It was unnatural. Reborn knew for a fact that Sawada Iemitsu steered his family away from his own true occupation, so how did Tsuna...?

Later, as Reborn pointed a gun at Tsuna to test his reflexes, the baby did not miss the way Tsuna tensed up, instinctively placing his hand to his hip. It all cried "Traumatized!"

This left Reborn to wonder, _Who really is Tsuna?_

* * *

A/N: I've just watched Totoro for the first time on Monday, and I fell in love with the soundtrack. "To to ro, Totoro, To to ro, Totoro..." (The soundtrack was actually my childhood, but that's another story.) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thankfully, I wrote this chapter after I finished all my homework. Yay for finishing SATs already. Did you enjoy this chapter? If so, let me know in the review box below! (And thank you all those who reviewed the previous chapter! I'll send you a personal thanks for this chapter - I neglected to do that last chapter, but I did read every single one of them ^.^)

~Ath~


	3. The Mystery

Notes: Because I changed some parts of the previous chapter, it affects this chapter in this or these way(s):

Reborn knows that Tsuna had a dark past, but he doesn't know that Tsuna is an assassin or that he already knows the mafia.

In a hurry to bring out the last chapter, I accidentally typed "Sawada Tsuyoshi" for Tsuna's father. "Tsuyoshi" has been fixed to "Iemitsu." I apologize for any confusion (and the accidental plot twist.) - Arigato to Thorn D. Cinni for pointing this out.

* * *

Tsuna laid in bed, arms tucked behind his head, unable to sleep with another hitman in close proximity. His senses were running wild with Reborn in his room. Thus, he stayed awake, thinking deeply about the conversation with his new home tutor.

"_You're going to be the next Vongola boss," Reborn said, chucking a pamphlet at Tsuna's head. Tsuna pluck the booklet out of the air just before it hit him._

"_Vongola, you say?" Tsuna inquired, keeping his eyes strictly on the book as he skimmed through it. Inside, on the other hand, he was laughing at the fact that he had been working for his own family for several years._

_The amusement must have shown on his face. "Have something you would like to share?"_

_Tsuna grinned innocently at the baby. "Nope." Tsuna ducked at an incoming projectile. _

"_Wrong answer, try again."_

"_So, why do I have to lead Vongola?"_

_To the young boy's shock, Reborn brought out a large whiteboard from thin air. "Let us start with the story of Vongola Primo…"_

He replayed this conversation in his head several times, when he felt a presence in the back of his mind.

"_Sora."_

_Hai, goshuujin-sama_, Tsuna respectfully replied to his contractor.

"_We have received your first victim today, yet there was another escapee who was part of Estraneo. You are free to have him."_

Inwardly, Tsuna scowled deeply at the news, yet, his face showed no more than a twitch to the eyebrow as he listened to his master speak.

_Okay, master, thank you for telling me. I will have this… pest… returned to you within the week. Are there any other missions you would like me to handle while I track down this cretin?_

"_Very well, since you asked, there is one you can take. Deal with the criminals selling mafia members as slaves. Their base is located in Tokyo."_

_Hai, thank you master for allowing me to handle this job…_

Tsuna snapped awake before turning his head. At the other end of his room, Reborn blew a bubble through his nose. While he was unsure that Reborn was asleep, he felt that he could take a chance.

Slowly, Tsuna sat up in bed, but before his feet touched the hard wooden floor, he noticed a sharp glint, courtesy of the moonlight. Observing it more closely, Tsuna realized with a jolt that Reborn had wired his room without him noticing.

_Reborn-sama is extremely good, for him to wire my whole room. I was in here the whole time after dinner, so he couldn't have done it then, or else I would have noticed or tripped over one. _Yet, Tsuna grinned at the prospect of a challenge. He tiptoed towards the window, grabbing his assassin gear as he made his way for his next mission.

Unbeknownst to him, as he climbed out the window with his gear stashed surreptitiously throughout his body, Reborn's sleep bubble burst.

Tsuna dragged his feet downstairs, covering his yawn as he stumbled to the kitchen.

"Ohayo, Okaa-san," Tsuna mumbled sleepily as he fought to stay awake long enough to eat his breakfast. "Ohayo, Reborn."

"Ciaossu."

"Did you sleep well last night, Tsuna-kun?" Nana asked, setting a plate of steaming food on the table.

"Hai," he replied. "I just overslept."

In reality, Tsuna barely slept a wink. He thought the escapee was a bumbling idiot like most other idiots who just happened to give the Vindice a slip. After all, someone dared to free most of the Estraneo members out of the Vendice's grasp, and it was Tsuna's job to chase them down. So it came to his surprise when the escapee stayed out of his radar. He groaned quietly in frustration as he thought about it.

"Anything wrong Tsunayoshi?" A voice cut through his musings.

Tsuna blink and found himself locked in a staring contest with the hitman. Blushing, he looked away and muttered a "Nothing."

He didn't miss the tilt of Reborn's head. But he promptly forgot about it when he glanced at the clock and froze, his fork halfway to his mouth.

"I'm going to be late!" Tsuna cried. The dropped utensil didn't even have a chance to clatter as he rushed out the door.

"Bye! Have fun at school!" Nana called after him.

Tsuna arrived at the gates of Namimori Middle with thirty seconds to spare. He panted slightly, but his run did not wind him. After all, what type of assassin gets winded after a ten-minute sprint to school?

"You're crowding the gates, herbivore."

Tsuna turned to see a menacing figure, one Kyoya Hibari.

"Sorry!" Tsuna yelped. Assassin he may be, he still didn't want to cross Hibari - after all, Tsuna had a sneaking suspicion that not only did he lead the Disciplinary Committee, he had the local yakuza at his disposal (he must have determined that the yakuza was crowding and "disturbing the peace of Namimori.") Tsuna looked up to see Hibari's countenance. A scuff on the collar, a tear on his jacket, a scratch on his cheek, and a cut on his forehead. A drop of blood rolled down the side of his face, and Tsuna took a shaky step back.

The scene looked exactly the same as a time long, long ago. Tsuna could not fight the rush of recollections…

* * *

_"Tsuna! I wanna show you something!"_

_ A hand grabbed Tsuna's hand as he was dragged across the park, towards the bushes and woods beyond. Upon seeing that he was travelling further and further away from Nana, Tsuna dug his heels into the ground._

_ Tsuna said, "Even though we're nine, we mustn't go too far from Mama's supervision."_

_ "But it's not too far away! Please?"_

_Tsuna never could resist those puppy eyes. He sighed, cursing in Italian at his own weakness. "Fine. But only five minutes."_

_Tsuna allowed himself to be dragged into one alleyway. He looked around cautiously, refusing to drop his guard._

"_Look!" He took a cursory glance to the side and received an eyeful of shocking red-orange fur. "Can I keep him?"_

"_Okaa-san won't let us keep pets," Tsuna gently denied. In the midst of talking, he failed to notice a van pull up the entrance of the alley. The other boy was too enamored with the ball of fur to pay any attention._

"_But we don't have to …"_

_Whether it was instinct, or a sound of a dropped button, or the click of the safety being turned off, the next scene was unclear. What was clear though, was the fact that Tsuna whipped around, deliberately standing in front of the other person._

"_Stay away!" Tsuna hissed as a group of men stalked closer and closer to them._

_His words were unheeded for the figures took one step after another, in a darin fashion. The figure behind Tsuna gripped Tsuna's arm tightly, and tsuna gently placed his own hand on top of his in comfort._

_One man had the audacity to laugh at Tsuna's threat._

_That's when disaster struck._

_Tsuna had the element of surprise as he disarmed and incapacitated the one who dared laugh at Tsuna's threat. Struck by his sheer speed and skill, the group did not act until a third of the group was knocked unconscious. Once they started moving, however, Tsuna was overwhelmed. There were too many, and Tsuna was losing the battle. He finally came face to face with a gun barrel pointing down at him. It was inevitable. Tsuna closed his eyes, bracing death when…_

"_You are disturbing the peace of Namimori," said a new voice. Tsuna opened his eyes in astonishment. The gun has been removed from his face; instead, he saw the back of another boy , not much older than him,._

_He was holding a pair of tonfas, and Tsuna knew immediately who this person was: the demon of the playground._

_With Kyoya Hibari, the pair quickly defeated the rest of the group. So why did Tsuna hear the engine of the van restarting?_

_Startled, Tsuna looked. Only to see the unconscious body of his brother being thrown inside of the van. The little kitten was clawing viciously at the pants leg of one of the kidnappers, but it was kicked unceremoniously back where it came from._

"_Kiyoshi!" Tsuna yelled, dashing towards the van. But the car was moving away, much faster than his nine-year-old legs could carry him. Tsuna watched in horror as his brother was carried further and further away from him. He sank to his knees._

"_I'm sorry, Tou-san," he sobbed quietly. "I couldn't protect him."_

_Suddenly, he felt a hand on his head._

"_We will find him, Sawada Tsunayoshi," Hibari said, looking down at the tear-stained face. "We will."_

* * *

_The search took two weeks before anything showed up in either Tsuna's or Hibari's radar. It took another two to determine precisely who they were going against and how they were going to fight against those people._

_Tsuna was deathly frightened to tell his mother or father about the situation._

_He ended up telling Nana that he was staying over at his friend's house (in truth, he was living with the scariest person in Namimori.)_

_Thankfully, Nana was oblivious to the lie. "I hope you and Kiyoshi have fun!"_

_Iemitsu, thankfully, was away doing CEDEF stuff (Tsuna knew all about what his father did - he was a genius after all. Kiyoshi, not so much.)_

"_Tsunayoshi, preparations are completed. We are going in tonight."_

_Tsuna looked at his mentor and steeled himself. He nodded._

_It only seemed a moment later when the two stood alone in front of laboratory-white doors. Hibari and Tsuna looked at each other, an understanding passed between them. Not a moment later, the doors lay in ruins , and Tsuna let his intuition take the rest of him over. He dodged outstretched arms, focusing on his senses to lead himself to Kiyoshi. Finally, he stopped._

_There lay his brother on a laboratory table with his eyes closed and pure blue flames engulfing his whole being. Rage filled Tsuna. Kiyoshi was not supposed to experience the dark side. The mafia was Tsuna's task and his alone. His brother was too innocent and too kind to experience the evils of the mafia world. In his anger, he placed his hands upon Kiyoshi's forehead, reaching deep within himself to push push back the flame into Kiyoshi and absorb whatever power his brother could not take._

_Tsuna was forced to take his hands off of Kiyoshi to engage in combat with four adults. Scientists, Tsuna vaguely noted. Thankfully Kiyoshi was no longer emitting flames, but rather was resting peacefully._

_Knowing that these people were the ones who put his precious brother through this trial, he struck them without remorse or second thought. Floods of scientists came wave after wave, but anger for his brother fueled him on. It was not until there was no more people standing did he realize that he did not just knock them out._

_He killed them with his own hands._

_The tang of copper stenched heavily in the air, and Tsuna shook in horror at his actions. He looked down at his blood-stained hands._

"_Tsuna?" came a quiet voice._

_He turned around to see Kiyoshi looking at him. Tsuna expected to see eyes of horror and disgust, but he only saw love and understanding._

_Chains rattled around him. Beside him stood Hibari with similar chains wrapped around his body. Tsuna took catalogue of his partner's injury: a scuff on the collar, a tear on his jacket, a scratch on his cheek, and a cut on his forehead. A drop of blood rolled down his face. Hibari looked back at him. Tsuna saw masked figures cloaked in long black robes holding the chains._

"_Sawada Tsunayoshi, Kyoya Hibari," said a voice of utmost authority. "You are charged with the massacre of the Estraneo Famiglia. You are thereby punished by the mafia police, the Vendice, to serve the rest of your life in the lowest level of Vendicare."_

_The chains tightened even more as Hibari and Tsuna was prepared to be transported to Vendicare._

"_Wait!"_

_The Vendice stopped._

"_I propose to to take the place of Hibari-san and Tsuna-nii in Vendicare," Kiyoshi said quietly, sitting up._

"_No, Kiyoshi, I forbid you to!" Tsuna shouted._

"_Tsuna-nii," Kiyoshi returned, standing and stumbling to the bound figure of Tsuna. "I sense that you will become a great leader in the future, and Hibari-san will be by your side. I cannot take your place in the mafia, because I am too gentle for this life. At least let me take your place in prison."_

_Tsuna was startled to see wisdom beyond his little brother's years as he said those words. Although he wanted to protest vehemently against this, he could only watch as Kiyoshi was bound while Tsuna and Hibari was released._

"_Vendice-san," Kiyoshi said, as he was tightly bound. "I have one last request: I don't want the rest of the world to remember me, sans Tsuna-nii and Hibari-san. It will cause less grief for the rest of my family."_

"_Deal."_

_Finally, Tsuna found his voice. "No, Kiyoshi! You can't do this to us! You can't throw your life away like this! At least let me serve in some way to lighten the punishment."_

_The Vendice took one look at the desperate face of the boy and hesitated. "Very well. I will cut the prison time in half if you'll work for us."_

_Tsuna knew that this was all or nothing, and there was no way around it. His eyes were shaded when he gave the final answer. "I accept."_

* * *

"Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna gasped, looking into the eyes of Hibari. "Sorry," he muttered, before he dashed inside to his classroom.

Hibari looked after the fleeting figure when someone called his name. Looking around, his eyes finally landed on a baby figure beside him.

"Yes?"

Reborn looked straight into the blood-thirsty eyes of the Disciplinary prefect and said, "Give me the information of my charge Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Hibari glared back. "Baby, you're asking for a high price here."

"How about a spar?"

"Information as I see fit."

"Deal."

Reborn pulled out his Leon-gun as Hibari wielded his tonfas as a storm brewed above them.

* * *

A/N: Will definitely need editing, but I'm too freakin' tired to do it. If you see any plotholes, please leave a review. If you see any spelling errors, please leave a review. If you have any questions, please leave a review. If you would like to gush about this chapter, please leave a review. If you would like to flame, please do it appropriately: it is done by lighting a Bunsen burner.

I will reply to your reviews because I appreciate them. Flames will be printed out and lit with a match. So, thank you for reading.

~Ath~

First published: 2/15/2015


	4. The Revelation

A/N: Moshi Moshi! I got sidetracked...and got lost on the path of life.

Well, I became obsessed with the Kingsman and its fandom, so it's been a while.

By the way, I have no idea what happened here, not my original plans. Oops.

* * *

Three days later, a loud beep resonated throughout the quiet room. Tsuna, like everyone else in the room looked up, searching for the perpetrator of the noise, but the sound did not repeat itself. After a tense moment, everyone looked back down, scribbling frantically over their papers. All except Tsuna, that is.

After all, Tsuna had finished his math test ten minutes ago, and he was busy plotting out his future plans in his head, up until his phone alerted him. Tsuna surreptitiously observed the quiet room as his hand inched towards his pocket.

_Ah, just as I thought._

Tsuna tucked his phone under his desk and stared at the blinking red dot in the middle of the screen. It was slowly moving towards the edges of the radar, and Tsuna knew that he had to act fast.

"Sensei? I don't feel so well. May I go to the nurse's office?" Tsuna pulled on a pale, sickly face as he clutched his stomach in pain. He saw the exasperated sigh from his math teacher before she nodded. He staggered out the room, making a show of his illness. Once the door closed though, he straightened up and dashed to the school rooftop.

There, far off in the distance, was a figure leaping from rooftop to rooftop. With a leap over the rustic fence, Tsuna dashed after him, slowly gaining ground.

Slowly, though, he sensed that there was another person near him, and Tsuna risked a quick glance around his surroundings. Just at the corner of his peripheral vision, he saw another figure closing in on his own mark. He frowned, putting on a burst of speed to ensure that he get to his target first.

That was not the case. The other figure reached his target first, but the target fended the other person off, sending the figure flying towards the ground. Tsuna swore, dashing after the falling person, and grabbing...oh, it was a her, back onto the rooftops to save her from certain injuries.

"Thanks," she said, before going after the mark again.

Tsuna raced after her. "Hey, he's my target!"

She glanced back at him. "As is mine. He murdered my friends."

Tsuna took her appearance and words in. "Yakuza?"

She nodded. "Name's Hotaru. And you?"

"Mafia. I'm Tsuna."

"I see. Pleasure."

They raced after the mark in sync, once again gaining ground on the fleeing target. As they approached the mark, they split apart in an unspoken agreement, flanking their target. Tsuna used his momentum to execute a butterfly kick to the head of his target, which he sensed and dodged. However, he failed to take into account of Hotaru's whip which wrapped around his ankle. With a sharp jerk of her weapon, the target stumbled head over heels.

"Ladies first," Tsuna said, gesturing towards the fallen target.

Notary glanced meaningfully at Tsuna before approaching the sprawled figure, while Tsuna simultaneously erected a sky-flamed barrier. Hotaru cracked her knuckles, glaring menacingly at the fallen figure.

"Let's start off simple," Hotaru said, slowly pacing around his target. "Who are you?" Just at the edge of the barrier, Tsuna watched closely at his temporary ally as well as the target. He knew that his job was to capture the guy and take him back to Vendice's imposing hold, but if yakuza wanted a set a number on him, who was he to stop them?

Silence filled the air. A moment passed before Hotaru growled, "We could do this the easy way, or we could do this the hard way."

"I'm not going to betray my allies." The man glared at her.

Hotaru had a wicked smile. "Suits me just fine." As Tsuna watched, Hotaru ground her knuckles into the man's kneecap, eliciting a scream from him. He gasped loudly from the pain, and Tsuna could see that, as a man unaccustomed to this life, it would not take him long to crack.

As it is, only a few more broken bones broke him into a blubbering mess, the man spilling out everything.

"The Estraneo...Famiglia is resurrecting," he wheezed between gasps. At the mention of the hated family, Tsuna felt no pity he might have had for the man, with what injuries he had. "They...are taking mafia members from another...Famiglia who are selling slaves."

Tsuna stepped closer. "And, pray tell, who is this Famiglia you are talking about?"

"I...I don't know!"

Tsuna stepped on his injured kneecap, dragging out a scream. "The Santora Famiglia!"

"The Santora Famiglia?" Tsuna mumbled to himself, absently pressing his weight on the man. He did not twitch as the pained screams continued, not until he felt a tap on the shoulder. His gazed snapped back at Hotaru, who was looking at him.

"I got the information I needed." She vaguely gestured in the direction of the target. "And you?"

He nodded.

"Do you want me to get rid of him?"

Tsuna grabbed the limp target roughly. "I have to take him back to the Vindice."

She nodded in understanding. "I see." Hotaru stretched her hand, and Tsuna took it.

"Would you like an alliance?" Tsuna questioned.

She hesitated, then smiled. "Why not? You helped me catch my target, not to mention saved me from losing time. See you again, Tuna."

"Oi! It's Tsuna!"

Hotaru took a step easily over the sky barrier, shocking Tsuna, as normally no one could enter or exit his barrier. She looked back, smirking. "Tuna."

And then she was gone.

_Mafia-blood_ Tsuna thought, eradicating his sky barrier before manhandling the poor unconscious target back to his base.

* * *

Tsuna was on the roof of Namimori high with a bento in hand, looking at the sky and contemplating his future plans. His nose twitched at the subtle change in the air, sensing that it would not be long before this life would turn upside down.

He knew that Nono is Vongola's sky guardian, and his friends make up the rest of the guardians. It was only a matter of time that Tsuna himself needed to get his own guardians. Hotaru was a good choice, he felt like, but he was going to wait for Reborn to make his first move, because he sensed that his mentor would be good at determining character for his guardians. He smiled to himself. Whatever Reborn threw at him, he was ready.

A ten-ton hammer fell on his head, and when he looked up, he saw Reborn's face staring down at him.

"It's time for training, Tsuna."

Or maybe not.

* * *

Omake

In the end, Reborn did not get much information than what he already knew. Basically, all he was able to get out of Hibari was that Tsuna was a mafia member. However, Reborn sensed that there was much more the Hibari knew that no one else did, and it kind of unnerved him. There was very little that Reborn did not know, but his charge was full of mysteries.

Hibari's loyalty, though, was mafia-worthy, and it would be good for Tsuna to have him as a guardian. The cloud guardian, perhaps, with Hibari's aloof and cold demeanor. Besides, Tsuna obviously trusted him, and Hibari reciprocated the trust, and with those two, land can level out.

Vongola needed a leader, and Tsuna, from what Reborn could see, definitely had the charisma of one. He just need to teach his student the qualities to become a good leader. It was time to get the ball rolling.

The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

"Reborn here. I have a task for you..."

* * *

A/N: I really don't know how this turned out for you guys, because it's so different from what I had originally planned. Let me know whether you like or not, because if you don't like it, I'll change it. Cheers, now back to my studies.

-Ath-

First published: 6.14.15


	5. The Storm

A/N: Heyo! Here's your new chapter...hope you like it!

* * *

Reborn's training was more brutal than usual, forcing Tsuna to drop his weak act. Each bullet that Reborn passed his guard hurt! Tsuna clenched his teeth tightly, doing his best to dodge each bullet and grenade that came too close to him.

It was only when Tsuna was about to pass out from exhaustion, four gruelling hours later, Reborn shot one more bullet at Tsuna's side, which Tsuna batted weakly, and stopped. The baby crawled nimbly down his perch, making his way over to the crater that he made during training. Tsuna sat at the center of the crater, watching warily as Reborn walked towards him.

"I have suspicions about who you are," Reborn admitted, sitting down next to his charge.

"Oh?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow. " I'm more surprised that you haven't figured it out yet."

"I say you kept me sufficiently in the dark, and your secrets are very guarded. Hibari gave me information that I already knew, and you leave very few crumbs."

Tsuna rubbed his eyes tiredly. "So what have you found about me?"

"You're an assassin, aren't you? Your style is very precise and lethal; no regular mafia member has the same detailed incapacitation that I have seen."

"That is correct."

"Who do you work for?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you, and even I was allowed to, I have yet to trust you."

For a tense moment, Tsuna feared that he insulted his mentor, but Reborn nodded slightly in approval. "As you should. Secrets should stay as secrets."

The two watched in silence as the sky turned a beautiful shade of orange as the sun set.

Reborn broke the silence first. "Your training is progressing, but you still need to train in speed. Tomorrow's exercise will involve running."

Tsuna can only shake his head at the prospect. "Hai."

"Also, you'll have a guest."

At the statement, Tsuna raised his eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

Reborn gave him a vague smile. "Secret."

A loud grumble filled the air, and Tsuna let out a laugh as he stretched out his arm for Reborn to climb on. "Come on, let's go home."

* * *

Tsuna sat slumped in his seat, eyes crossing as he retreated into his mind, when the door opened in the middle of the teacher's lecture. Upon hearing the disturbance, he sat up to see a boy with white hair swagger into the classroom. Tsuna studied the boy in front of him, just as the other boy scanned the room. _Italian, mafia,_ his mind supplied.

"Wel...welcome," Tsuna's teacher stuttered as she saw the punk standing in front of her. "What is your name, young man?"

He smiled sinisterly. "I'm Hayato Gokudera."

Tsuna, who was only half-listening previously, perked up at the name, and his jaw dropped. _Gokudera-kun!_

"Well, can you sit besides…" she trailed off as Gokudera approached Tsuna. Tsuna's eyes widened in shock as Gokudera kicked his table over.

Tsuna looked into the eyes of Gokudera, searching deeply in hopes of some recognition. His heart sank as recognition shone in his eyes, but not in the way he wanted. _Gokudera-kun_...

* * *

"_Kiyoshi, Tsuna!" Nana called from the kitchen._

_The six-year-old boys tumbled over each other in a rush to reach their mother first. However, the clumsy one he was, Kiyoshi tripped on his way down. At the bottom of the stairs, Kiyoshi burst out crying, prompting Tsuna to rush down and bundle his baby brother -actually, his younger twin brother-in his hand._

"_Are you okay, Kiyo?" Tsuna asked gently, kissing the bump on the head the stairs gave his brother. Kiyoshi sniffled a few more times, watching in fascination Tsuna's hand healing his bruise._

"_Yea."_

_Nana, oblivious as ever, failed to hear the cries of Kiyoshi; instead she said, "Papa called and invited us to take a trip to Italy! How would you boys like that?"_

_Kiyoshi was always happy to go on trips, and upon hearing a vacation, he jumped up happily, forgetting about his previous stumble. "Yes! I would love that, Nana!"_

_Tsuna, ever the more reserved one, followed quietly behind his excited brother, but he shared the sentiment all the same. "A vacation would be nice," he agreed._

"_Then a vacation it is!"_

* * *

"_Something's wrong, Tsuna," Kiyoshi frowned to Tsuna, as they built sandcastles on a private beach in Sicily. Nana was inside the house, cooking, leaving the two boys outside. "Do you feel it?"_

_Tsuna frowned. "That depends on what you are talking about."_

_Kiyoshi closed his eyes. "It feels...like someone is hurting...there!" He pointed to the nearby bushes._

_Tsuna looked to where Kiyoshi's point, feeling sadness in the bush. Cautiously, he made his way towards the shrub, pulling back its leaves to see another boy crying._

_At the sound of the leaves rustling, the other boy wiped his tears and growled weakly, "Who are you?"_

_By this point, Kiyoshi stood shyly behind his elder brother, and Tsuna introduced himself. "I'm Tsuna, and this is Kiyoshi." He dragged his brother beside him._

_Kiyoshi, ever the more sympathetic one, asked quietly, "Why are you crying?"_

"_I didn't cry. I'm a big boy, and big boys don't cry!"_

"_But," Kiyoshi was saddened by this. "Your flame is really sad, and I want to make it better."_

_The other boy sighed. "My father doesn't care about me, and I'm scared of my sister. I don't wanna go back to my family."_

_Kiyoshi gasped. He was unused to someone despising their family so vehemently. In his eyes, his family was his whole world._

_Tsuna smiled sadly, sympathizing with the other boy. "Well, instead of crying, would you like to hang out with us?"_

_He watched as the other boy's face clearing up considerably at the suggestion, and Kiyoshi also pounced upon that idea. "Yea. We just got here yesterday, and we haven't gone sightseeing yet."_

_The other boy looked incredulous. 'You haven't? You're missing out!"_

_Tsuna smiled at the change of emotions. "And what is your name?"_

_The other was startled, before his eyes widened in disbelief. "I haven't told you? That is rude of me! I'm Hayato Gokudera."_

_Kiyoshi grinned. "Gokudera-kun, let's go sightseeing!"_

* * *

_The sun was setting before a loud voice broke the crisp air of the evening._

"_Gokudera!"_

_Their new friend paled at the voice, and Tsuna turned to see a beautiful girl walking towards them. He stood protectively in front of Kiyoshi and Gokudera, settling into a fighting stance._

"_Don't come any closer," he growled. The girl paused, bringing her hands up in a gesture of surrender._

"_I'm not here to harm," she said cautiously._

_Kiyoshi was on his knees, comforting Gokudera. "Who is she?" he asked quietly._

"_My sister, Bianchi."_

_Tsuna could see genuine concern flashing across her face. "Gokudera, I missed you. Come home."_

_Tsuna's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the way her hands tensed, her back ramrod straight, her feet lightly placed in perfect fighting position. "Who are you?"_

"_I'm Bianchi, Gokudera's sister."_

_Tsuna could see that she knew that the answer was not what he meant. "You know what I mean."_

_She sighed. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, so I'll answer your question if you would answer one of mine."_

_Tsuna instinctively knew that he was entering dangerous territory, one that he wasn't sure Kiyoshi, the naive boy he was, was ready for it. Keeping one eye on Bianchi, he told his brother, "Take Gokudera away from here. I'll come find you later."_

_Kiyoshi voiced his concern. "Are you sure?"_

"_GO!"_

_With the sudden outburst, Kiyoshi took Gokudera by the arms and led him away._

"_So, answer my question."_

_Bianchi hesitated before she spoke softly. "I'm mafia."_

"_I guessed it, which one?"_

_Tsuna listened as she gave him her answer._

"_And who are you?"_

"_Sawada Tsunayoshi."_

_Her own eyes widened. "As in the young Lion's son?"_

_He nodded. After all, he knew what his father did after some snooping around. "The very same."_

_Bianchi opened her mouth, preparing to say something, and Tsuna could see the gears churning in her mind. He slightly wondered what she will say next. However, she simply asked, "What are you going to do to my brother?"_

_Tsuna hesitated. He could feel it: the way that Gokudera will influence the rest of the mafia world. He finally weakly settled on, "He needs training."_

_The other girl looked thoughtful for a long moment. "Doctor Shamal is currently working for father right now. Maybe with just enough threat and persuasion, I can make him train Gokudera."_

_Tsuna cringed slightly at hearing the name of the womanizer; however, he didn't doubt the doctor's uncanny ability to heal or poison with his mosquitoes. He smiled sickly. "I guess that would work. But please don't let him have traumatized childhood. He has enough on his plate already."_

_She grinned. "I'll take care of my little brother."_

* * *

"Do I know you?" Gokudera growled at Tsuna.

Tsuna shook his head sadly.

"Well, I do. Courtyard at lunch." Gokudera walked away with the threat hanging, leaving the rest of the class flabbergasted.

Tsuna, for his part, looked distraught by the threat, but he could hardly deny Gokudera anything. Thus, he stood on the courtyard lawn at the beginning of lunch, waiting for Gokudera to show up.

And he did. With a mass of already-lighted dynamite.

"Double-bomb!" With a shout, Gokudera sent the dynamite flying towards Tsuna's unsuspecting torso. Tsuna, in turn, jumped high in the sky, the explosions propelling him even higher, where he saw Reborn sitting on the edge of the roof.

"Hayato Gokudera," Reborn said to Tsuna as he went past. "Also known as Smokin' Bomb Hayato."

"Good to know," Tsuna replied, grabbing the edge of the roof before he went down. "Any instructions?"

"He would be a good addition to your Famiglia."

Tsuna agreed wholeheartedly. "I'll try not to kill him."

With that, Tsuna let go of the rooftop, leaving Reborn to watch the ensuing fight.

It wasn't much of a fight, though. It was more of a cat-and-mouse game, with Gokudera constantly lighting dynamite, and Tsuna dodging it. Craters littered the courtyard as each stick exploded, and Tsuna was waiting for Gokudera to let his guard down so he can defeat him.

It was more of a mistake, really, that allowed Tsuna to enter into Gokudera's defenses.

"Triple-bo...shit." Hayato had dropped a stick, and his lapse of concentration allowed the rest of the sticks fall to the ground. Gokudera's eyes widened, bracing himself for the recoil.

But it never came, for Tsuna tackled him over the dynamite just as it was set off, his body protecting Gokudera from the smoke and heat.

Tsuna groaned softly, searing pain on his back making itself known as he woke up.

"Juudaime?" a voice asked.

Tsuna blinked, eyes slowly clearing to see Gokudera's face two inches from his own. He gave an unmanly shriek, sitting up in a rush and hitting his forehead against Gokudera's.

"Ooowww." The two boys moaned, rubbing their heads in pain.

"Are you okay?" Tsuna asked quietly.

Gokudera hesitated, before he answered, "Yea."

"Good job, Tsuna," Reborn said, floating down with his Leon parachute. "You found another member for your famiglia."

At "famiglia," Gokudera bowed to Tsuna. "I would be proud to serve you, Juudaime."

"I'll be happy for you to serve me, Gokudera-kun." _I want my childhood friend back too_.

"You should leave," Reborn remarked casually. "I see Hibari-kun coming."

Hearing the scary name, Tsuna shrieked and grabbed Gokudera. "Let's go before he catches us!"

* * *

A/N: I got a short writer's block writing this chapter, but I hope this is to your satisfaction. This chapter is also longer than normal...but I'm slowly adjusting to writing more than a thousand words now, so expect longer works. Cheers! -Ath-

First published: July 4, 2015 (Happy Birthday America!)


	6. The Rain

_He opened his eyes...or he thought he did. He was not quite sure, for it was so utterly dark._

_So dark and so cold._

_But even the frigid water could not displace the coldness of the frozen chains that bit the skin of the human it held, a testament to the utter helplessness and hopelessness of the situation. Like clockwork, a breath of stale air forced him to inhale, and the pressure against his lungs forced him to exhale, barely keeping him alive._

_It hurts. Help me._

_Even when he could not see or freely breathe, a muffled sound of tortuous screams flowed about him. If he could, he would shiver at the pain the screams held._

_It's so dark. Why is it so dark and so cold?_

_What is happening? Why do I hear screaming?_

_Where am I?_

_Who am I?_

Tsuna's phone vibrated the desk, its ringtone piercing the once-quiet room. Tsuna awoke with a barely audible gasp, dream fading away like clouds. He jerked and sat up abruptly. With a numb hand, Tsuna blindly reached for the annoyance.

"What?"

Reborn's tinny voice sounded through the tiny speakers. "Sawada Tsunayoshi. You are late for training."

A quick glance to his computer clock had Tsuna jumping up. "I'm sorry! I lost track of time!"

"You missed breakfast, and school is starting in five minutes." Even though he could not see him, Tsuna clearly felt Reborn's curiosity and amusement, more so the latter. Tsuna looked down, wrinkling his nose at his rumpled uniform. He grabbed his phone.

"I'm sorry. I'll train later."

Reborn smirked. "I'll hold you to that."

Gokudera sat next to him at the dining table with barely concealed excitement, stuffing eggs into his mouth. "Well?" he inquired, ignoring Nana's cautions of eating more slowly.

"Tsuna is at school," Reborn replied, sipping his coffee, made to perfection: one cream, two sugars.

Nana looked slightly shocked. "He missed breakfast? I even cooked his favorite meal for him! Gokudera-kun, you wouldn't mind bringing his breakfast and lunch to him?"

Gokudera smiled and nodded vigorously. "Anything for my Juudaime!"

Reborn seemed to look on with interest. However, internally, he frowned, wondering what Tsuna was doing last night. Reborn jumped down from his chair as Gokudera profusely thanked Nana. He had gone too long without answers. His skills were slipping, and for him, that was unacceptable. He was the best of the best, and a mere child had successfully kept secrets from him.

Reborn straightened, determined. The facade ends now. A shadow of a man stretched out behind him as he walked purposefully to where no sane person would go.

* * *

Two men cowered against the far wall, clutching each other as they looked on. A silhouette of a baby stood at the doorway, leaving no escape. The silhouette held two pistols, further looking menacing. Strewn across the floor were large, burly men, either weakly groaning in pain or fully unconscious.

"I ask again, do you know Sawada Tsunayoshi?" The silhouette slowly walked closer, and the men scrambled to move backwards, but they could not. They looked at each other in fear, each knowing what the other thought - they desperately wanted to melt against the wall.

Reborn walked ever slowly closer, cherishing the growing panic the two had on their faces. He could see one was about to break under the pressure, and he smirked.

However, as he opened his mouth, the crack of a whistling whip stopped Reborn in his tracks.

"Who are you and why are you here?" a female voice snarled.

Reborn internally cursed at his slight complacency, allowing an enemy to sneak up on him. Granted, that meant that she was extraordinarily good at stealth. Professional even. Reborn leaned back as the whip struck the area where he just stood, turning his body and face towards the door to see a shadow in the place he once stood. As he dodged out of the way, Leon turned himself to an umbrella, granting a slight chuckle from Reborn. As the whip flew free towards him again, Reborn intercepted the slice of the whip with his umbrella, allowing it to coil itself around his trusty pet.

A forceful, sudden jerk forced the whip out of its owner, and Reborn ran towards the door. "I'm Reborn," he replied easily, avoiding the shurikens his opponent tossed at him.

"You're _the_ Reborn?" she gasped incredulously, stilling her attacks.

Reborn frowned. "And you are?"

"Hotaru." She bowed. "I'm the shateigashira of Yamamoto-gumi."

"Yamamoto-gumi," Reborn contemplated. "And you're the leader of the local chapter? You are quite young to be leading such strong men."

Hotaru smiled brilliantly. "I fought for my position after my father died during a skirmish. They all fear me and respect me. Now, Reborn-san, why have you come here?"

"Do you know of Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Reborn inquired.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Reborn watched her carefully as she looked up, mumbling the name, lost in thought. "Oh! Tuna! Yes, I do. We were going after the same target a few months ago."

Reborn was surprised, but he carefully kept his mask of smugness. "Oh?"

Hotaru continued on as if he did not interrupt her. "Yea, he's in the mafia. I'm not sure which one though, because I haven't seen him since that meeting. We were going to have an alliance though."

The female looked directly at him suddenly. "But aren't you..."

"I'm doing Vongola Nono a favor," Reborn replied. "His past is mysterious to me, and I intend to get down to the roots of it."

Hotaru crouched down, staring at him. Reborn stared back in interest as he waited for her to speak. "Sawada Tsunayoshi has a dark past. I know because I can feel his pain. However, I know that you have to ask him yourself, because he is an extremely difficult person to read. Now, I have seen him snooping around this area, even though I have not spoke with him since the last time we met. Every time I saw him, he always headed east. You might want to look there, see if there is anything of worth to you."

Reborn slight grin grew. "Thank you for the information."

He took a step towards the door before turning back and tossing her whip back at her. "We will meet again, I'm sure of it," she called back.

Reborn grinned wider, tilting his fedora toward her. "I look forward to meeting you then."

* * *

P.E. was a disaster. For one reason or another, the teacher believed it was a good idea to teach middle school students wrestling.

As it turned out, the rules were completely thrown out as each pair of students stepped into the ring, becoming a vicious battle to toss the other onto the floor as painful and as brutal as possible. The teacher, strangely, was nowhere to be seen.

Tsuna did not come out completely unscathed. Granted, it was by choice. Tsuna grunted as his opponent tossed him face down and pinned his arm against his back, twisting it painfully. Gokudera swore loudly at the treatment of his Juudaime, and out of the corner of his eye, Tsuna saw that it was only because of Takeshi's tight grip on Gokudera's shoulder.

"Maa, maa," Takeshi called out cheerfully. "You have him down, you don't need to break his arm to win."

Tsuna's arm was roughly let go, and he rolled away as the other boy challenged Takeshi to the ring.

It was a mistake, really. Tsuna was in the midst of picking himself up from the ground when his former opponent charged at the baseball player and tripped over Tsuna's leg. The two boys fell out of the ring.

_Crack!_

Tsuna scrambled over to the edge of the ring to see Takeshi cradling his arm, face grimacing in pain.

All around the room, murmurs of "Takeshi broke his arm" and "How is he going to play baseball? We have the championship in a couple of days" echoed softly but clearly. Tsuna watched as Takeshi's face fall at the implication that he was unable to play for the championships. Takeshi ignored the surprised yells of his classmates as he tore out of the room.

Gokudera grumbled at the idiocy of his classmates as he walked with Tsuna to class when another student brushed past.

"Sensei!" the student panted. "Yamamoto Takeshi is on the roof. I think he's jumping."

The hallway shrank significantly when Tsuna heard the news. Ears pounding, heart feeling like it was going to burst out of his chest, he ignored Gokudera's exclamation and sprinted towards the window, following his foreboding feeling. In front of him, a body fell freely into his stretched arms. Tsuna took in the shocked look of Takeshi as he braced himself for the hard impact towards the ground.

"Why?" Takeshi whispered as Tsuna hit the ground roughly. "Why did you save me? I had nothing to lose."

"Because!" Tsuna yelled back. "You had everything to lose! How would your father feel if he learned that his only son passed?"

Takeshi was red-faced in embarrassment and shame, and Tsuna felt slightly guilty. With a softer voice, he said, "Baseball is not life, Takeshi. You have so much more to live for. You can brighten someone's day with just your smile."

He placed Takeshi on the ground and crouched down, brushing away the lone tear from the other boy's face. "You are sorrowful, but let the rain wash your tears away. Stay alive and fight for what you have. Persevere through the pain and obstacles, because you will always come out stronger."

Tsuna smiled slightly, standing and reaching an arm out. Takeshi returned the smile through his tears before grabbing the proffered arm. "Come on now, let's go the nurse's."

However, as Gokudera flew out of the front doors in panic, distracting Takeshi momentarily, neither of them noticed the sadness that shone in his eyes.

* * *

Written: July 7, 2016


End file.
